TICA MICE NEWS

venue update

ICONSIAM unveils TRUE ICON HALL

This article was originally found on Bangkok Post.

ICONSIAM, the Bht 55 billion riverside landmark destination recently voted the best new development in Asia Pacific by the International Council of Shopping Centers, today announced the opening of a new auditorium, conferencing and entertainment complex that spans 12,000 square metres of floor space across its seventh and eighth floors, and which is the first major, modern conferencing complex on the Chao Phraya River.

Mr. Supoj Chaiwatsirikul, Managing Director of ICONSIAM Co., Ltd. said, “It’s about helping to win the world for Thailand. TRUE ICON HALL is a venue of national pride and the nation’s most advanced auditorium, conferencing, and entertainment facility, which will attract a new class of high-value meetings and performances. It is one of the most inspiring venues in Asia, made unique by its majestic, panoramic views of the Chao Phraya River.”

“The opening of TRUE ICON HALL will give major new impetus to Thailand’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions) industry as well as to the development of the Thonburi side of the river. It will also help fill many rooms in the numerous four- and five-star hotels along the river, and reinforce the Chao Phraya River as a new global destination,” he said.

Mr. Chaiwatsirikul added that TRUE ICON HALL would mirror the concept of ICONSIAM “by offering the best of Thailand in terms of service and hospitality, with the best of the world, in terms of technology and connectivity.”

TRUE ICON HALL is a joint venture between ICONSIAM and True Corporation and was built with an investment of 2,000 million baht. It seats up to 2,700 people in flexible, fast-change halls that incorporate automated banks of seating and LED lighting that can rapidly be reconfigured to maximise stage visibility and suit different types of functions and live performances. In addition to its three large halls, TRUE ICON HALL has 14 meeting rooms, ranging from 26 square metres to almost 400 square metres, which can accommodate a further 950 people.

Mr. Birathon Kasemsri Na Ayudhaya, Chief Content & Media Officer for True Corporation, said, “TRUE ICON HALL is another pride of True. We have been working with ICONSIAM to create a world-class conference complex in Thailand. The collaboration brings together the best of two worlds: the best venue and the best technology. ICONSIAM is the best destination with globally recognised stature. True is the leader in digital technology. We understand advanced communications technology and know how to make the best use of it to deliver extraordinary experiences that will make TRUE ICON HALL the true icon of experience creation, and one that delights visitors with sight, sound and other sensory experiences. We provide the best technological innovations in connectivity to make visitors happy with memorable experiences. Among them are the country’s fastest fibre-optic communication system, TrueMove H wireless network, including our 5G ready 4G+ and our world-standard WiFi supportive of a full range of advanced digital needs and systems of event organisers.”

“And a leader of content and media with extensive experiences in entertainment, we understand the needs of event organisers as well as trends in presenting international exhibitions. We have developed innovative solutions and special applications to impress users of TRUE ICON HALL from the first visit. These include fast registration through facial recognition scan and an audio translation innovation that allows conference attendees to listen to real-time translations from an application on their smartphones instead of rented headphones. We enable smooth, uninterrupted internal and external communication to provide the best 360-degree experience. International visitors from around the world will leave with great memories. It will attract MICE organisers to inject funds into the country’s economy and will contribute to making Thailand an outstanding destination in Asia for all kinds of world-class events.”

According to Mr. Talun Theng, the leader of the management team of TRUE ICON HALL, the new venue boasts many ‘first-time-in-Thailand’ and ‘first-time-in-Asia’ features. “For the first time in Asia in a conference venue, the ceilings are made from panels of light pixels which allow very precisely ‘tunable’ ambient lighting to suit every occasion. The ceilings can also be used to run colours and animations, enabling stunningly immersive multi-media experiences to excite audiences and manage moods in concerts as well as meetings and events,” he said.

Among other ‘first-time-in-Thailand’ features of TRUE ICON HALL are the sound insulation systems that have been embedded into the walls, double operable walls to ensure soundproofing and to enable totally disruption-free meetings to be held, regardless of what else may be happening in adjacent or nearby halls.

Mr. Theng, said, “Among the most important features of this conference and entertainment facility is the inspirational location and layout that breaks the tradition of such places just being big boxes. Our extraordinary placement inside a globally admired destination, such as ICONSIAM, and being next to a breath-taking riverside setting makes every meeting that much more special.

He added, “Our role is to go beyond just providing physical meeting or performance space. We aim to help people maximise their ability to connect and inspire others with what they have to say and share. Doing that successfully is the result of great enabling technology, great facilities and an unrivalled location. TRUE ICON Hall is integrated into a larger platform that is one of the world’s most-awarded destinations, globally admired for its stunning design, vast and varied cultural offerings, and its exciting diversity of activities, entertainment, restaurants, and extraordinary shopping possibilities that combine the best of the world with the best of Thailand.”

Mr. Theng said TRUE ICON HALL already has more than 30 important conferences and events confirmed for next year and another 100 pending confirmation, with guest numbers ranging from 200 to almost 3,000 people per event.

“We are particularly proud that one of the region’s most important medical conferences – the Asia-Pacific Society of Cardiology Annual Conference – has already confirmed to hold its meetings at TRUE ICON HALL during March 2021,” he noted.

According to Mr. Theng, among the other important events confirmed are “BRICK LIVE Built for LEGO fans” which is the biggest lego events in Southeast Asia during 14-17 November 2019, “The Arena of Valor International Championships (AIC 2019)” which will bring together the greatest online gaming teams from across the globe to compete for a massive prize pool during 23-24 November 2019. Also confirmed is the “Shantou Taechiew Chinese Opera” on 13-16 October 2019, Word Camp Asia during 21-23 February 2020, and the World Congress of the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections, which is set for 1-4 December 2020.